More Z travel please, For a Taig Mini Mill

[MrRage]

I have a CNC equipped Taig Mini Mill and I wanted to figure out how I can get some more Z travel with it. I think if I just replace the Z-Axis Steel Tubing Column with a longer one that will solve the problem, but I don’t think there are larger ones available. Its looks simple enough to make, but I might be wrong.

While were talking about the Z-Axis Steel Tubing Column, is there a accurate way of locking that thing at 90 degrees, or any other degree for that matter? Thanks for the help

[Idle hands]

I used a dial indicator to set my column 90 degrees to my table. I checked this by jogging the z axis up and down and reading the dial indicator for any variance. It can take some time to get it 'dialed' in. I would tighten the nut on the column base a just a few foot pounds and then LIGHTLY tap the column with a hammer. A small copper or brass hammer should work.

If you want more Z TRAVEL you would need a longer lead, screw column and gib?
If you just need more Z CAPACITY you could get some .5"-1."? thick aluminum tooling plate (eBay?) and drill and tap it to fit between the dovetail plate the spindle block that mounts to and the Z carriage.

Make sure to check your clearances near the top of your Z axis lead screw bearing block.

Doing this would be a simple solution, but you will only gain a few inches of Z capacity and it will effect your Y axis capacity also, which might be a bonus depending on your needs. Another thing you need to be aware of is keeping the spindle block parallel to the Z column. This is why you should use tooling plate because it has been ground to 'close' tolerances.

I also own a Taig mill which I purchased from Nick Carter (Cartertools.com) and am quite pleased with it. I have only limited experience as I am new to this myself. Also there are many others here who have much more experience modifying the Taig mill, hope this helps, good luck with it.

[cartertool]

For setting the mill up so the column is at 90 degrees, see here:
http://www.cartertools.com/millset.html

There really isn't any way to lock it at 90, and you probably don't need to as it would eliminate a lot of adjustability.

For more z-travel you would need a longer screw and a longer slide - a competent machine shop could make you new slides, as they are just ground barstock. For a longer screw you could use the x-axis screw although it would reverse the feed - no problem with CNC, a problem with manual...
You will lose some rigidity though.

For more z height, how much are we talking? You can move the dovetail that the headstock mounts to on the z-slide upwards by a row of holes (or more if you don't mind the loss in rigidity. A spacer or moving the slide up a row of holes on the column would work as well. You could make a whole new column, but then you would lose the ability to go down to the table surface (not sure if that matters). The column is ground on one face only so again a good machine shop should be able to make you one.

definitely ask about this on the taigtools yahoogroup, everyone with a Taig hangs out there and you will get some good ideas...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/taigtools
(for some reason it's getting mangled by the board,it is groups(dot)yahoo(dot)com(slash)group(slash)taigtools, I keep entering it and it keeps getting mangled...)

Nick